Draft-beam for cars



(No Mcdel.)

T. W. SALING. DRAFT BEAM `FOR CARS.

Patented May '2.4, 18998.A

1n; 10mm Varens ce, Pnorammo, Mums-mn, u r,

UNITED STATES 1 YPnrnnrr Erica.

THOMAS w. sALINe, or MRsnALn- Tnxns.

DRAFT-BEAM FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,421, dated May 24, 1898. Application filed November 18, 1897.. Serial No. 658,950. (llo'model.)V

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern.;

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. SALING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marshall, in the county of Harrison and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Beams for Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.,

My-invention relates to'improvements in draft sills or beams for cars; and it consists in providingsuch beams with suitable openings or slots whereby the follower-plates may be made to secure the drawheads Aof the coupler to the said cars, the said bars and slots being of such a construction that theA follower-plates may be inserted after the beams are secured to the body of the car.l

It also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and 'arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of the draft beams or timbers, the parts being shown in section to better show the construction thereof. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the said draft beams or timbers appliedto the under beams of a car, and Fig. 3 represents a transverse Vertical section through the said draft-beams.

A A in the drawings represent my improved draft bars or timbers; B, a follower-plate; C, a key-plate, and D the draw-head of the coupler.

In applying my draft-beams to the bottoms of cars they are preferably secured to the under side of beams running longitudinally of the car, as E, and are provided with shoulders, as d, which are adapted to abut against a transom or cross-beam, as F, arranged beneath the ends of the car. In order to further secure the position of the beams A with respect to the beams E, lugs, as a', may be formedupon the upper surface of the said draft-beams. These lugsor projections are adapted to fit in corresponding recesses, as e, formed on the under sides of the beams E.

The beams A A are designed to be used in pairs at each end of the car; but in their construction each member of the pair is exactly like the other, so that they are interchangeable and can bev used upon either side or either end of the car. The beams A are preferably formed of channel-irons, as illustrated in the drawings, and are provided at intervals with vertical apertures or bolt-holes,

as a2 d2, through which bolts may be passed.

to firmly secure the said beams in place beneath the car. The rear ends of the draftbeams are preferably connected by means of tie-plates, as g g, the upper plate g of which sets into a recess, as a3, formed in each of the beams. The lower tie :plate g engages a shoulder, as a4, formed upon the under side of each of the beams A. y n

I am aware that metallic draft-beams have been used heretofore to secure couplers to the car-bodies; but these have employed lugs or projections* upon their inner surfaces to secure follower-plates in place. This necessitates the making of the beams as rights and lefts, and they are therefore not interchangeable.

By my construction of beam all the beams may be made exactly alike and one may be used in the place of another interchangeably.

As'illustrated in the drawings, the drawbar D is provided with a reducedend, as d, and this is adapted to engage and extend through an aperture, as b, formed-in the central portion of the follower-plate B. The follower-plate Bl is insertedinto` apertures a5 a5, formed in the beams A AL AKcoil-sprin g is interposed between thefollower and the shoulder diformed upon lthezdraw-bar D.

In order to secure the' draw-,bar to the draft mechanism, so as to receive the pull exerted upon the coupler, a key-plate, as C, is passed through a'horizontal slot formed in the drawhead,the ends thereof extending on either side of the draw-head and through longitudinal slots, as d6, formed in the beams AA. .These slots a a are made sufficiently long to permit of the movement of the key upon the compression and expansion of the springs. The outer ends of the key-plate C are engaged by the loops 72, of the side draft-rods II I-I and are thereby connected with the ends of a similar key at the opposite ends of the car. It will thus be apparent that the pull upon the coupler at one end of the car transmits its pressure to the spring on the draw-head at the opposite end of the car, whereas a thrust upon the IOO coupler is received by the spring at the same end of the'car.

From the above construction it will be apparent that I am enabled to produce not only a very strong draft-beam, but one which is simple in construction and readily applied in position. Not only are these draft-bars interchangeable, but the follower-plates and key-plates can be readily inserted into position after the beams are secured to the carbody.

In contradistinction to the draft-bars in common use, which employ lugs to engage the followerplates,-I term my draft-beam a lugless draft-beam.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. A draft-beam for cars provided with transverse slots extending thro-ugh the said' beam, one of said slots being adapted. to receive a follower-plate and hold the same rigidly and the other slot being adapted to receive a key-plate for securing a. coupler in place, the construction being such that the key-plate may slide in said slot according to the movement of the coupler, substantially as described.

2. In a draft mechanism for cars, the combination with a suitable coupler7` of draftbeams secured to the under side of the car, said beams being provided with apertures eX- tending through said beams for receiving follower-platesand key-plates whereby the-coupler may be secured to said beams, the construction being such that the said followerplate may be held rigidly in place and the keyplate may be allowed to slide in its slots to conform to the movement'of the coupler, sub.- stantially as described.

3. In a draft-gear for cars, the combination with a suitable coupler, of draft-beams provided with transverse apertures, a followerplate adapted to engage one set of said apertures and be held rigidly therein, and a keyplate passing through the draw-head and the other set of apertures and adapted to slide therein and connecting draw-rods for joining the outer ends of the said key-plates at the opposite ends of the car, substantially as described.

4. In a draft-gear for cars, the combination with a suitable coupler, of draft-beams adapted to receive the coupler between them, said beams being made alike whereby they are interchangeable, the said beams being also provided with transverse apertures whereby they are adapted to receive and hold rigidly follower-plates and to receive and movably hold key-plates for securing the coupler in position, substantially as described.

5. A draft-beam for c'ars provided with a transverse vertical slot for rigidly securing a follower-plate and a transverse longitudinal slot for receiving and movably holding a key- 4lplate, the construction being such that the f key-plate is guided in its movement with a f coupler, substantially as described.

6., A draft.l mechanism for cars comprising metallic beams adapted to be secured to the car-sills, the said beams being provided with vertical slots for rigidly securing a followerplate and being also provided with longitudinal slots for movably holding and guiding a key-plate whereby a coupler may be secured to said beams, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof. I hereunto alX my l signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS W. SALING. Witnesses:

BLANC-HE I-I. GWYNNE, AMORY R. STARR.. 

